The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1887-12-08

soldier, except bis frantic desire to
see his child once more. Uoder the
pressure Of this feeling, he left the
camp against orders, and fled to his
rude cabin among the Allegbeuies
Just in time TO ace little Sallis's face
light up once moro with q CLEAN OF
Joyful recognition, aud to receive
her paroing kiss. To do this he bad
incurred the brand OF deserter, aud
bad taken his life in his hands.
] Scarcely we're the child's remains
inferred than he, without waiting to
comfort bis sorrow-stricken wife,
started back to camp; intending to
throw himself on the mercy Of bis
commander Of exculpation Of an Of.
fense committed under 30 over,
whelming q pressure, or il the worst
came to the worst to meet bis fate
like . man. Bat q new complication
bad arisen. Daring the few days be
had been absent the men on either
side had changed their position like
the figures on o chess-board, and
the enemy's troops had come be-
tween him and bis command. He
bad travelled through cold, drench~
ing rain, sleeping at night in q for
est to lesson the risk OF falling into
the enemy's hands He began TO
feel strange stupor creeping over
him aud was just able to drag him.
self to the house of friendly couu-
trymsn, who took him in aud kept
him for the next few weeks, during
which time he lay i'll Of pneumonia.
Just as bs was beginning to conval-
esce, and before be had time to
voluntarily give himself up, be vas
arrested AS q deserter. His wife
followed him to camp and pleaded
for him. telling the cause OF his de.
Sci ton with all the rude eloquonce
that strong emotion could dictate
aud taking all the blame on herself
In vain; he was tried aud condemn
cd by every rule Of war as deserter
The commanding officer, however
made this concession t. the agoniz-
cd wife-he would defer the execu.
ton for three days, 30 as to give Lcr
time to go to Richmond and implore
the clemency Of, President Davis,
whicb was now the sole hope for the
prisoners life.
Like Jeanie Deans going to plead
before the Queen for her sisters life
the simple mountain woman went TO
the Confederate capital and pleaded
her husbands cause before Jefferson
Davis. She had it in her power to
prove that he bad shown himself q
brave soldier; that he had not left
the camp from cowardice. or from
detection to the cause, but from
his overwhelming love for his dying
child and his intense desire to see
her once moro before che passed
away. Davis finally granted the
man 9 pardon aud drew up pa
per to that effect, " which he gave TO
a messenger, directing him to take
the next train and carry the dis
patch to the prisoners commanding
officer. lie, moreover, gave the
woman . duplicate paper, to make
her husbands release the more cer-
tain.
Joyfully she started off with the
precious document that was to carry
life and liberty to her beloved hus-
band. The cars seemed all to slow
for her burning impatience, The
train was always heavily loaded in
those days; there was SO much trsv-
cling to and fro, so much shifting Of
the trovps from Que point to anoth-
or. From hard aud constant use
during the war the railroads got in-
to very bad order, so that accidents
and detentions were quite frequent
occurrences, especially towards the
close of tho war. On this fateful
trip one Of these frequent accidents,
occurred during the night. II was
not very disastrous accident, but
still 1t occasioned the detention OF
the train until day before the neoes-
ssry repairs could be made.
1t seemed as il the stars in their
courses fought against the condemn
ed prisoner. His wife wrung her
hands with frantic impatience dur
ling the detention, but there was no
help for it. She had to endure IL,
though each moment seemed to her
an hour. At le ng,b she was speed
l;no m har wav AGAIN and ip a few